Transparent vent conduit having integral coupling

ABSTRACT

A transparent venting conduit for attaching to a conventional dryer to enable the venting conduit of the dryer to be visually inspected without having to be removed. The transparent venting conduit comprises an elongated tube body defining an elongated hollow member constructed of heat resistant plastic material and having a proximal end as well as an integral coupling for attaching the proximal end of the tube body with a target exhaust vent. In one embodiment, the coupling defines an integrated strap operative to encircle the tube body and tighten it around the exhaust vent. In an alternate embodiment, the coupling defines a rigid tubular member having an exterior perimeter surface defined by a central ridge that is disposed between two tapering ends. In yet another embodiment, the coupling defines a discrete rivet attachable to an aperture integral with the tube body and exhaust vent.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference co-pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/023,266 filed Jul. 23, 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to dryer accessories and, more particularly, to heat resistant venting conduit having an integral coupling for attaching to a dryer vent.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The use of clothing dryers, particularly tumble dryer machines, to remove moisture from clothing or a load of clothing is well known. Dryers typically draw in dry, ambient air, heat it, and then use it to evaporate moisture in the cloths. The resultant hot, humid air is then vented from the dryer, typically outside. The vents and the conduits which enable the transfer of the hot, humid air from dryers to outside, however, often accumulate debris and lint from the ordinary use of the dryer. Such accumulated debris and lint not only lowers the operating efficiency of the dryer, they create a fire hazard. A problem which still exists is that existing venting conduits are often opaque and do not allow a user to visually inspect how much debris is present or if they are becoming clogged. Thus, there remains a need for a transparent venting conduit which enables a user to visually inspect any debris and lint buildup therein. It would be helpful if such a transparent venting conduit included an integral coupling that enabled it to be secured to existing dryer vents. It would be additionally desirable for such a transparent venting conduit to be constructed of heat resistant material to enable it to facilitate the venting of heated air.

The Applicant's invention described herein provides for a transparent venting conduit adapted to allow a user to visually inspect the venting conduit of a dryer for clogs. The primary components in Applicant's transparent venting conduit are an elongated conduit body and an integral coupling. When in operation, the transparent venting conduit enables a transparent tube to be fastened to a conventional dryer vent so that the accumulation of debris or lint can be monitored without having to dismantle the dryer vent. As a result, many of the limitations imposed by prior art structures are removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A transparent venting conduit for attaching to a conventional dryer to enable the venting conduit of the dryer to be visually inspected without having to be removed. The transparent venting conduit comprises an elongated tube body defining an elongated hollow member constructed of heat resistant plastic material and having a proximal end as well as an integral coupling for attaching the proximal end of the tube body with a target exhaust vent. In one embodiment, the coupling defines an integrated strap operative to encircle the tube body and tighten it around the exhaust vent. In an alternate embodiment, the coupling defines a rigid tubular member having an exterior perimeter surface defined by a central ridge that is disposed between two tapering ends. In yet another embodiment, the coupling defines a discrete rivet attachable to an aperture integral with the tube body and exhaust vent.

It is an object of this invention to provide a transparent venting conduit which enables a user to visually inspect any debris and lint buildup therein.

It is another object of this invention to provide a transparent venting conduit that includes an integral coupling that enabled it to be secured to existing dryer vents.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a transparent venting conduit constructed of heat resistant material to enable it to facilitate the venting of heated air.

These and other objects will be apparent to one of skill in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a tube body of a dryer with a transparent venting conduit built in accordance with a strap embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a tube body of a dryer with a transparent venting conduit built in accordance with a strap embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a dryer with a transparent venting conduit built in accordance with a strap embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded side perspective view of a dryer with a transparent venting conduit built in accordance with a rivet embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a rivet fastener of a rivet fastener system in accordance with a rivet embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded side perspective view of a dryer with a transparent venting conduit built in accordance with a connector embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a cross section of an integral coupling of a connector embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of a dryer with a transparent venting conduit built in accordance with a connector embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a cross section of an alternate integral coupling of a connector embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and in particular, FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a transparent venting conduit 100 for attaching to a conventional dryer 110 in accordance with a strap embodiment of the present invention is shown having a elongated tube body 101 and a strap member 102. In the strap embodiment, the tube body 101 is an elongated hollow member constructed of heat resistant plastic material that is flexible and able to withstand temperatures up to 265 degrees Fahrenheit. The elongated tube body 101 is sized to have an internal diameter that allows it to slide over an exhaust vent 111 of a conventional dryer 110.

A strap fastener system is employed to secure the transparent venting conduit 100 to the exhaust vent 111 of a conventional dryer 110 once it has been slid thereover. The strap fastener system is defined by the strap member 102 which is attached to a portion of the surface of the tube body 101 and oriented so that it can selectively encircle the perimeter of the tube body 101. The strap member 102 includes a fastening peg 103 adjacent to one end and a plurality of corresponding peg notches 104 adjacent to the opposing end, positioned such that when the notch end and the peg end are tightly wrapped around the tube body 101 so as to exert narrowing pressure on the tube body 101, the strap member 102 can be fixed in place around the tube body 101 by engaging the peg 103 with one of the notches 104. It is appreciated that the inclusion of a plurality of notches 104, the strap member can be fixed in place at a selected tightness around the tube body 101, sufficient to hold the tube body 101 on an exhaust vent 111 over which it has been inserted (as illustrated in FIG. 3).

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a transparent venting conduit 200 for attaching to a conventional dryer 210 in accordance with a rivet embodiment of the present invention is shown having a elongated tube body 201 and a tube rivet aperture 202. In the rivet embodiment, the tube body 201 is an elongated hollow member constructed of heat resistant plastic material that is flexible and able to withstand temperatures up to 265 degrees Fahrenheit. The elongated tube body 201 is sized to have an internal diameter that allows it to slide over an exhaust vent 211 of a conventional dryer 210.

A rivet fastener system is employed to secure the transparent venting conduit 200 to the exhaust vent 211 of a conventional dryer 210 once it has been slid thereover. The rivet fastener system is defined by the tube rivet aperture 202, a vent rivet aperture 212 and a rivet fastener 220. The tube rivet aperture 202 is defined by an aperture in the surface of the elongated tube body 101. The vent rivet aperture 212 is defined by an aperture in the surface of the exhaust vent 211. The rivet fastener 220 includes a main body 221 and two mirror image fastening ends 222 and is constructed in the preferred embodiment of the same material as the tube body 201. The fastening ends 222 each enable the rivet fastener 220 to through an aperture until the aperture is disposed over the main body 221 securing the surface containing the aperture in the main body 221. In this regard, the transparent venting conduit 200 is attached to the exhaust vent 211 by sliding the tube body 201 over the exhaust vent 211, aligning the tube rivet aperture 202 with the vent rivet aperture 212, and inserting the rivet fastener 220 into the aligned tube rivet aperture 102 and vent rivet aperture 212 until the tube body 202 surface surrounding the tube rivet aperture 202 and the exhaust vent 211 surface surrounding the vent rivet aperture 212 is disposed the main body 221 of the rivet fastener 220, locked therein by the opposing fastening ends 222.

Referring now to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, a transparent venting conduit 300 for attaching to a conventional dryer 310 in accordance with a connector embodiment of the present invention is shown having an elongated tube body 301 having a proximal end 302. Similar to the rivet embodiment, it is contemplated that the tube body 301 defines an elongated hollow member constructed of heat resistant plastic material that is flexible and able to withstand temperatures up to 265 degrees Fahrenheit. In the connector embodiment, however, the tube body 301 is not required to be sized to slide over an exhaust vent 311 of a conventional dryer 310; it may be either be size to have an substantially the same internal diameter as an exhaust vent 311 or sized to slide over an exhaust vent 311.

In the connector embodiment, the tube body 301 includes an integral coupling 320 that is used to join the tube body 301 with a target exhaust vent 311. The coupling 320 defines a rigid tubular member having an exterior perimeter surface defined by a central ridge 321 that is disposed between a tube tapering end 322 and a vent tapering end 323 (collectively, “tapering ends”). From the terminal edge of the coupling 320 moving to the central ridge 321, the tapering ends 322, 323 each begin as a level surface, transitioning into a tapered surface that increases the diameter of the coupling 320, and then transitioning back to a level surface. The vent tapering end 323 is sized to frictionally fit in conventional dryer exhaust vents, while the tube tapering end 322 is size to frictionally fit the interior surface of the elongated tube body 301. It is contemplated that such a design enables the coupling 320 to attach to vent tubes (whether a dryer exhaust vent or an attachable venting conduit) having varying sizes so as to increase compatibility.

Accordingly, the tube body 301 may be attached to an exhaust vent 311 by first inserting the vent tapering end 323 into the exhaust vent 311 until the tapering surface that increases the diameter of the coupling 320 frictionally secures the coupling 320 in the exhaust vent 311 and then inserting the proximal end 302 onto the tube tapering end 322 until the inner surface of the tube body 301 is frictionally secured to the coupling (by way of the increasing diameter).

It is contemplated that in the connector embodiment, a fastening wrap may additionally be employed to supply narrowing pressure to either the exhaust vent 311 or the tube body 301 once it is engaged with the coupling 320 so as to increase the hold of the coupling 320.

Referring now to FIG. 9, in an alternate version of the connector embodiment, an integral coupling 420 is provided that is similar to the integral coupling of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 except that the tapering ends 422 are the minor images of one another.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A transparent venting conduit attachable to a dryer exhaust vent, comprising: an elongated tube body having a proximal end and constructed of a transparent heat resistant material; and an integral coupling adapted to frictionally secure the proximal end of the tube body to a dryer exhaust vent.
 2. The transparent venting conduit of claim 1, wherein said integral coupling includes a central area and two distinctly sized opposing end sections.
 3. The transparent venting conduit of claim 2, wherein said integral coupling defines a rigid tubular member having an exterior surface.
 4. The transparent venting conduit of claim 3, wherein the diameter of the integral coupling is greater in the central area than at the opposing end sections.
 5. The transparent venting conduit of claim 4, wherein the exterior surface of said integral coupling includes at least one tapered section between the central area and each of the opposing end sections.
 6. The transparent venting conduit of claim 3, wherein said integral coupling includes a central ridge disposed on the central area.
 7. The transparent venting conduit of claim 1, wherein said integral coupling defines an strap member configured to be wrapped around the tube body adjacent to the proximal end, thereby exerting narrowing pressure on the tube body.
 8. The transparent venting conduit of claim 7, wherein said strap member includes a peg and at least one corresponding peg notch, thereby configuring the strap member to be fixed in place at a selected tightness around the tube body.
 9. A transparent venting conduit attachable to a dryer exhaust vent, comprising: an elongated tube body having a proximal end and constructed of a transparent heat resistant material; an integral coupling having a central area and opposing end sections, wherein the diameter of the integral coupling is greater in the central area than at least one of the opposing end sections said integral coupling suitable to connect at one end section to a dryer exhaust vent and at the other to the proximal end of the tube body.
 10. The transparent venting conduit of claim 9, wherein said integral coupling defines a rigid tubular member having an exterior surface.
 11. The transparent venting conduit of claim 10, wherein the exterior surface of said integral coupling includes at least one tapered section between the central area and each of the opposing end sections.
 12. The transparent venting conduit of claim 9, wherein said integral coupling includes a central ridge disposed on the central area.
 13. The transparent venting conduit of claim 9, wherein the said opposing end sections are mirror images of one another.
 14. A transparent venting conduit attachable to a dryer exhaust vent, comprising: an elongated tube body having a proximal end and constructed of a transparent heat resistant material; and an integral coupling defining an strap member having a first end and a second end and configured to be wrapped around the tube body adjacent to the proximal end, thereby exerting narrowing pressure on the tube body, wherein at least a portion of said strap member is attached to the tube body between the first end and second end.
 15. The transparent venting conduit of claim 14, wherein said strap member includes a peg and at least one corresponding peg notch, thereby configuring the strap member to be fixed in place at a selected tightness around the tube body.
 16. The transparent venting conduit of claim 15, wherein said strap peg is disposed on the first end and the at least one corresponding peg notch is disposed on the second end.
 17. The transparent venting conduit of claim 15, wherein said strap member includes a plurality of peg notches. 